Cees Nooteboom is the greatest living Dutch novelist and Rituals is his masterpiece: Inni Wintrop wanders the streets of Amsterdam in his search for salvation.

"Six years previously, on the eve of his marriage, he had wept on the steps of the Palace of Justice on the same Prinsengracht, exactly such genuine tears as Zita had shed when he deflowered her in a room full of frogs and reptiles in the Valeriusstraat."•Prinsengracht

Visiting Rembrandt's House is a memorable experience and his home is captured brilliantly in Sylvie Matton's novel of the painter's descent from fame and wealth to bankruptcy.

"The great hall at the front, the little room at the back, the antechamber next to the courtyard and the cabinet of curiosities. Every wall in every room is hidden behind paintings and objects. Weapons I've never seen before."•The Rembrandt House Museum, Jodenbreestraat 4

The classic account of Amsterdam past and present by the distinguished Dutch writer and commentator.

"The patron saint of the Oude Kerk, Saint Nicholas, the 'water saint' … was to have something of a second career as a friend of children, riding his horse over the rooftops of Amsterdam on the eve of his name day, 6 December, and distributing presents by dropping them down chimneys." •De Oude Kerk, Oudekerksplein

From one of the Netherlands' best-known writers, the compelling story of classic Dutch actor Pierre de Vries and a richly detailed portrait of modern Amsterdam.

"He turned into the Nes, where a slight gloom came over him. Entertainment districts in the morning are as dismal as seaside resorts in winter. In the narrow street, he found the theatre in a building of which he had no recollection … "•Nes

This beautifully written story of two young rowers moves through the golden summer of pre-war Amsterdam, and into the Nazi occupation.

"I took in everything … the houseboats, the flags on the larger ships, the washing hanging out to dry somewhere on board, a fisherman bent over his rod and in the distance the jumble of housefronts, masts and towers, the silhouette of the city."•Amstel river

A visit to the Magic Mushroom Gallery is combined with a quick one to the Van Gogh Museum as the narrator and his friends take a weekend trip to Amsterdam.

"We headed for the relative tranquillity of the Van Gogh Museum, where the paintings pitched and reeled in a blaze of yellow … a sun burst over the writhing corn of Arles, a roman-candle night – starry, starry – swirled into life. Blossom-tormented trees reared into view … " •Van Gogh Museum, Museumplein

Rupert Thomson's strange and haunting novel is full of perceptive descriptions of daily life in Amsterdam.

"I had always liked the red light district during the day, especially when the sun was shining – some bleary, slept-in quality the streets had, the neon diluted, pale, and, every now and then, a girl on her way to work in full make-up and impossible high heels."•Red light district, De Wallen

Amsterdam has always been a haven for refugees and Dubravka Ugresic shows us with great insight the lives of eastern European immigrants in a poorer district of the city.

"I would take the Zeedijk, in the direction of the Nieuwmarkt … Sipping my morning coffee, I would observe the people stopping at stalls displaying herring, vegetables, wheels of Dutch cheese and mounds of freshly baked pastries. It was the part of town with the greatest concentration of eccentrics … "•The Oudezijds Kolk/Zeedijk area

Sean Condon made Amsterdam his home for three years and his love for the city and its sights, big and small, is captivating.

"[Cafe Papeneiland] is a wonderful place with a low, exposed-beam ceiling, a tiny staircase leading up to a tiny toilet, wood-framed windows and a panel of antique Delft porcelain allegedly discovered in the basement during renovations 15 years ago. The bar has been here since 1641."•Intersection of Brouwersgracht and Prinsengracht canals

The famous story of Anne Frank and her family, who were caught in hiding by the Germans in 1944. Their house, now a museum, is one of Amsterdam's most popular tourist destinations.

"After we arrived at 263 Prinsengracht, Miep quickly led us through the long passage and up the wooden staircase to the next floor and into the Annexe. She shut the door behind us, leaving us alone. Margot had arrived much earlier on her bike … "•Anne Frank House, Prinsengracht

•Malcolm Burgess is the publisher of Oxygen Books' City-Lit series featuring some of the best ever writing on favourite world cities, oxygenbooks.co.uk